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winter weight oil?

Greetings, just had a dusting of snow the other night, and my diesel is (over)due for some fresh oil. Been running Valvoline 15w-40 in it but was thinking it might be wise (or not!), to put a lighter weight oil in the 'ol girl for the winter. Any recommendations?
 

5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
Greetings, just had a dusting of snow the other night, and my diesel is (over)due for some fresh oil. Been running Valvoline 15w-40 in it but was thinking it might be wise (or not!), to put a lighter weight oil in the 'ol girl for the winter. Any recommendations?

The only weight I would move too is 5w-40. As the first number is the one that should interest you as that is the flow rate for "winter".

It'll help the engine turn faster in the cold..


But if your using a block heater or anything I would just stick with the 15w-40


Smokin' Tires with my 5.0 on Tapatalk
 
hey Flareside thanks for the response, yeah I was looking at this:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...-Valvoline-1-Gal-5W40/_/R-VCA70518_0006505608

basically what I've been running just the 5w like you said, surprised that it's ten bucks more than the 15w.

I do use the block heater, pretty much once the morning temps get below 40 degrees farenheit, about an hour or so, and longer as the temps drop, gotta remember to check the glow plugs, replaced two last year... Anyway, food for thought because it routinely is single digits here in the morning come December, I still might go with the 5w.
 
hmm, had to go out and check what I've been running, 15w-40 Premium Blue... no issues to date, that I know off.
 
hmm, well still tempted to run it, since my 7.3 takes ten quarts, what do you think of running just a gallon of the 5w and then 15w for the other 6qts?
 

Fellro

Moderator
Staff member
I have pretty much always run 15w-40 year round. Once it warms up, the engine oil behaves the same, the lighter weight is more for cold starts.
 

SuperCab

Moderator
Staff member
10,068
547
Montana
If you always use your block heater you can run whatever weight oil you want. Otherwise I'd say go for the 5-40 like others have said.

I've heard synthetic is easier for cold starts than conventional. Dunno if its true, but if it is it just adds to the hundreds of reasons everybody should run synthetic oil.
 

5.0Flareside

GingaNinja
14,463
384
La Vergne, TN
Synthetic oils are more uniform in they're structure on a molecular level due to how they're refined that the flow much better due to this.. Also why they're better protection


Smokin' Tires with my 5.0 on Tapatalk
 

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